Clowney is 2 years out of high school and thus can't enter the NFL draft for one more year. He is widely regarded as the best prospect in college and would certainly be a top 3 pick this year if he was eligible for the draft. He essentially has 2 options, return to South Carolina and risk injury or sign with an agent and just work with scouts, trainers, coaches, etc. on his own and prepare for the draft the next year. His risk of injury is greatly diminished by signing with an agent, and while he likely wouldn't hurt his draft status either way there are certainly risks with both avenues. If he left S.C. he would essentially be abandoning it in a sense (though seeing what Latimore went through I don't think anyone would blame him).

Clowney is 2 years out of high school and thus can't enter the NFL draft for one more year. He is widely regarded as the best prospect in college and would certainly be a top 3 pick this year if he was eligible for the draft. He essentially has 2 options, return to South Carolina and risk injury or sign with an agent and just work with scouts, trainers, coaches, etc. on his own and prepare for the draft the next year. His risk of injury is greatly diminished by signing with an agent, and while he likely wouldn't hurt his draft status either way there are certainly risks with both avenues. If he left S.C. he would essentially be abandoning it in a sense (though seeing what Latimore went through I don't think anyone would blame him).

So the question is if you are Jadeveon Clowney what do you do?

I would probably play. I would like to think that his goal is to win and not just be a high draft pick. But it probably makes the most sense for him to sit.

You can't take a year off football and maintain your skill level, especially not at a young age. More injuries happen in practice and training anyways (far more time prepping than playing after all), so if he'd truly stay in shape the risk isn't that much smaller.

So he'd be like working at a 7-11 mornings and working out in the afternoon and evenings? If he goes to the CFL or arena league he still could get hurt. He'd get paid, but in a way he is getting paid an education right now. And room and board. It seems like a good idea to sit...it worked for that USC receiver Williams. Didn't work for Clarett at all. But out of sight, out of mind and suddenly a bunch of new guys become all the rage and they run as fast as you and they lift as much as you and they played. Now what? Now instead of being a top pick you're the 10th pick in the 2nd round or you're the 27th pick or something.

Get an insurance policy. There are all sorts of injuries that didn't hurt people's draft stock that bad. Look at Willis McGahee.

So he'd be like working at a 7-11 mornings and working out in the afternoon and evenings? If he goes to the CFL or arena league he still could get hurt. He'd get paid, but in a way he is getting paid an education right now. And room and board. It seems like a good idea to sit...it worked for that USC receiver Williams. Didn't work for Clarett at all. But out of sight, out of mind and suddenly a bunch of new guys become all the rage and they run as fast as you and they lift as much as you and they played. Now what? Now instead of being a top pick you're the 10th pick in the 2nd round or you're the 27th pick or something.

Get an insurance policy. There are all sorts of injuries that didn't hurt people's draft stock that bad. Look at Willis McGahee.

McGahee went from top ten to barely in the first round.

Latimore went from top ten to maybe even undrafted, but I think most everyone would be shocked if he was a first round pick at all. Latimore is Clowney's teammate. He saw first hand what an injury could do to you.

Clowney wouldn't work. His whole job would be about getting ready for the NFL. He would be working out, working on skills, watching film, etc. His agent would be paying for all of that as an advance so he wouldn't need the money. He could also get sponsorships and what not, since he would no longer be an amateur.

What if Clowney's injury is a major concussion. You know the kind that has kept Jahvid Best from playing football for a year and a half. The kind that not only ends your career, but maybe affects your life in dramatic ways. It is one thing if playing improves your draft status, but that won't happen with Clowney. He is a top 3 pick right now and will be next year pretty much no matter what he does, unless he gets hurt. I just don't see the benefit in risking it. He will because it won't be about logic, but emotion, and that is fine, I just wouldn't do it.

So he'd be like working at a 7-11 mornings and working out in the afternoon and evenings? If he goes to the CFL or arena league he still could get hurt. He'd get paid, but in a way he is getting paid an education right now. And room and board. It seems like a good idea to sit...it worked for that USC receiver Williams. Didn't work for Clarett at all. But out of sight, out of mind and suddenly a bunch of new guys become all the rage and they run as fast as you and they lift as much as you and they played. Now what? Now instead of being a top pick you're the 10th pick in the 2nd round or you're the 27th pick or something.

Get an insurance policy. There are all sorts of injuries that didn't hurt people's draft stock that bad. Look at Willis McGahee.

McGahee went from top ten to barely in the first round.

Latimore went from top ten to maybe even undrafted, but I think most everyone would be shocked if he was a first round pick at all. Latimore is Clowney's teammate. He saw first hand what an injury could do to you.

Clowney wouldn't work. His whole job would be about getting ready for the NFL. He would be working out, working on skills, watching film, etc. His agent would be paying for all of that as an advance so he wouldn't need the money. He could also get sponsorships and what not, since he would no longer be an amateur.

What if Clowney's injury is a major concussion. You know the kind that has kept Jahvid Best from playing football for a year and a half. The kind that not only ends your career, but maybe affects your life in dramatic ways. It is one thing if playing improves your draft status, but that won't happen with Clowney. He is a top 3 pick right now and will be next year pretty much no matter what he does, unless he gets hurt. I just don't see the benefit in risking it. He will because it won't be about logic, but emotion, and that is fine, I just wouldn't do it.

He better have some specific language in his contract with the agent because if he gets hurt some other way...car accident or something...suddenly he owes his agent a ton of money. All that stuff you mentioned is very expensive and instead of paying for it he could basically get paid education, room, and board at Carolina.

I don't think it's possible for a non - QB (Peyton Manning could have done this..especially with his father) to sit out a year and not slip in the draft. He may not slip lots, but he's slip a little.

He could hurt his draft status by taking the year off, if only because it would put into question his motivations playing football. Great football players don't willingly sit out a year, just to assure themselves of a paycheck.

Go and take out an insurance policy against his expected future earnings, and go out there and try to win some football games.

He could hurt his draft status by taking the year off, if only because it would put into question his motivations playing football. Great football players don't willingly sit out a year, just to assure themselves of a paycheck.

Go and take out an insurance policy against his expected future earnings, and go out there and try to win some football games.

I have to completely agree that if I'm a GM I'm thinking "Ok so basically this kid if he plays very well will probably hold out on me during contract time. Or he could walk because some other team offers him 5 cents more. In fact he's willing to go to pretty great lengths and make pretty big sacrifices to get every cent he can, when there was plenty of money to be had anyway. In the mean time I've got this other kid that has all the measureables and just wants to play"

He could hurt his draft status by taking the year off, if only because it would put into question his motivations playing football. Great football players don't willingly sit out a year, just to assure themselves of a paycheck.

Go and take out an insurance policy against his expected future earnings, and go out there and try to win some football games.

I have to completely agree that if I'm a GM I'm thinking "Ok so basically this kid if he plays very well will probably hold out on me during contract time. Or he could walk because some other team offers him 5 cents more. In fact he's willing to go to pretty great lengths and make pretty big sacrifices to get every cent he can, when there was plenty of money to be had anyway. In the mean time I've got this other kid that has all the measureables and just wants to play"

Exactly. And while Clowney is sitting on his agents couch, other players will be winning the hearts of the scouts and knocking Clowney out of their memories.

Sure, he will still be a first round pick, unless he really botches things. But in the NFL, there is a huge difference between mid to late first round, and top 5. And I think the best way to stay in the top 5 is to play, and play well.